Onomatopoeia – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Onomatopoeia (occasionally spelled onomateopoeia or onomatopoeia) is a word or a grouping of words that imitates the sound it is describing, suggesting its source object, such as “click,” “clang,” “buzz,” or animal noises such as “oink”, “quack”, “flap”, “slurp”, or “meow”. The word is a synthesis of the Greek words όνομα (onoma, = “name”) and ποιέω (poieō, = “I make” or “I do”) thus it essentially means “name creation”, although it makes more sense combining “name” and “I do”, meaning it is named(spelled) as it does(sounds)(quack, bang, etc.).

Hooray for onomatopoeia! I’ve been a big fan since I first heard the term (Grade 10 Latin, wherein a whole world of nerddom was revealed to me…), and I delight at the discovery of new ones. I just about fell over from the sheer saccharine delight of hearing my B&B hostess worry about the “ki-ki-ri-kis” waking me up in the morning (the neighbour’s roosters), and brek-a-ke-kex-ed all over the Acropolis after catching sight of some very froggy-looking column volumes.

I particularly liked this little anecdote:

The onomatopoeia that is said to be heard at a typical Disco Biscuits (a popular jamband) show is “UNTZ.” This description seems to have originated from an interview with Bob Dylan, who said “I kept hearing this,’UNTZ..UNTZ..UNTZ..UNTZ..’ sound in the background of all the music…fun time, though…lots of young kids with dilated pupils.”